The Awakening
by TwilightNocturne74
Summary: Valentine reflects from the time when she is drugged to when she awakens and is reunited with her lover. Valentine's POV, oneshot.


**The Awakening**

**a Monte Cristo ficlet**

**by FullMoon-Insanity**

**a/n: So I was reading 'Monte Cristo' recently and came up with a cute little idea here. It's Valentine' s POV before the 5th of October; the dialogue is slightly changed.IMPORTANT: I apologize if some of thisgoes against the book; I only read the abridged version (by accident) and was infuriated when I realized that I had only read 72 abridged chapters of the actual thing. I have to go and read the unabridged version now... Anyway,r&r please!

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_"Whatever happens to you, Valentine, be not alarmed. Though you suffer and lose your sight and hearing, be not afraid; though you awaken and know not where you are, fear not; even though upon awakening you find yourself in some sepulchral vault or tomb, collect your thoughts quickly and say to yourself: 'At this moment a friend is watching over me, a father, a man who desires our hapiness, mine and Maximilian's!' Now farewell, child, for you are saved!"_

About a million and one thoughts were rushing through my mind at that moment. I was handed a tiny pill, and I swallowed it without hesitation, as if it were some life-preserving medicine given to me by the doctor. I did not know then of its consequences, for at the time nothing had made any sense to me. I was naive. All I knew of was my love for Maximilian. It was all I needed.

The room began to spin soon afterwards, and I shut my eyes tight. My whole body began to shudder, and I slipped out of consciousness, gently, as one slips into sleep. That's all that it was, anyway: a deep, peaceful sleep.

Something immediately disturbed my sleep; a light tugging feeling. It was as if my spirit were being dragged from my body. I glanced heavenward, where my attention was captured by a bright white light. My spirit drifted toward the light; I had not the strenth to pull back.

I cast one last look at the world from which I was rapidly departing. I could, in the darkness of the room, just barely make out the silhouette of my body lying lifeless and limp with an arm hanging off the side of the bed. The Count had already left the room.

I returned my attention to the light and breathlessly gasped. It was closing up, growing dimmer and smaller before my eyes. It was as if God himself would not allow my entrance into eternity. Perhaps He knew something- that I had yet another fate, another purpose to fulfill.

I gasped again. My head began to pound and the room began to spin. My soul was being torn away from its ultimate destination and forced back into my helpless corpse. Everything went black- I did not awaken.

I am unsure for how long I slept. The only thing that I can clearly recall is that I had had a lovely dream about Maximilian. He was calling my name, and I was looking for him. At first I could not find him; everytime I thought I was coming closer to the sound of his voice, the wind would blow harshly and carry his voice away. Finally, I found him on a beach, waiting for me. I ran up to him and threw my arms around him. We embraced and kissed as if we had been away from each other for a long time. We then proceeded to stroll along the shore, talking and laughing. I cannot remember what we were conversing about, but we spent what seemed like hours just talking.

Everything else that had occured during my slumber is unclear to me. After that, I remember waking up suddenly in total darkness. I couldn't breathe. The air smelled like fresh dirt, and my chest felt very heavy. I think I lost consciousness again, because I remember waking up a second time, this time in a dark room lit by candlelight.

I was lying down on a heap of soft pillows. I raised myself on one elbow and looked around. The furniture was all made of gold; it reminded me of a palace that I once visited in my childhood dreams. I smiled to myself and stood up. I had no clue where I was, but one thing I was sure about was this: I was not alone, like the Count had promised me. There, in the entranceway of the room, stood a girl a few years younger than myself. She had dark curly hair that fell in long black spirals past her elbows. She was wearing a foreign-looking outift with large gold bracelets and earrings. My first impression was how beautiful and elegant she looked, like a princess. A Grecian princess, to be exact.

Her name was Haydee, she told me, and she was the Count of Monte Cristo's willing and adoring servant. She explained to me that her master would be back shortly, as he had some business to attend to, and that she was to keep me company until his return.

"We shall get along so well!" she said to me in nearly perfect French, "We will be like sisters." She brought me into another room, sat me down, gave me something to eat and drink, and then told me the story of how she came to be Monte Cristo's servant. She explained that he had saved her life after she was sold into slavery, and brought her with him to Paris, and how she loved him and would do anything for him.

"He treats me like a princess," she said, "and I owe him my life. Oh, Valentine, how I love him! He is a god. He is my second father." She told me that her own father was Ali Pasha of Greece, and how he had been killed, and then how her mother, too, had died before her eyes.

"I am sorry for your loss," was all I could say. I felt awkward, eating while she was telling me her tragic history. However, when I had finished eating, we continued to talk, bringing the conversation around to a more pleasant topic.

I immediately liked Haydee, and, like she had said, we got along well, almost like sisters. I enjoyed being in the company of another girl who was intelligent and not shallow, like Eugenie Danglars. We talked about our favorite books, and I discovered that Haydee was quite literate in many different languages. She was more intelligent than me, I remember thinking. Then the discussion turned to boys- don't ask me how.

"There is this boy who walks by just outside my window every morning when I wake up," Haydee said, "and every morning he sees me staring at him, and he waves before moving on."

"Have you ever spoken to him?" I asked curiously.

"Goddess, no! I would not know what to say..." her cheeks turned bright pink, and I couldn't help giggling.

"Is there a boy that _you _like?" she asked.

"You mean the Count did not tell you?" I asked. She shook her head. So I told her all about Maximilian, and how we had been seeing each other in secret, and how I was arranged to marry another man, when my grandfather helped us.

"That is so romantic," Haydee said when I had finished my story.

"I know... But, I thought the Count would have told you. You see, I was sick for a while... someone had been poisoning me. And so he saved my life because he knew of Maximilian's love for me," I explained.

"Ah, Maximilian Morrel? Yes, I see now. That makes sense. You two would be perfect for each other, then."

"You have met my love?"

"Yes, once. He is a fine man. Very handsome, I daresay." I smiled.

"Yes. Oh, Haydee, have you ever been in love before?" I asked. She looked away for a few seconds, thinking it over. Then she turned to me.

"Promise not to say anything... Swear not to tell!" she said. I was startled for a moment at her outburst, but then I relaxed. I nodded, silently.

"I... I love the Count of Monte Cristo!"

"You mean to say you adore him, like a father," I said as if I were trying to assure myself.

"No... I do adore him, and he is like a father to me, but... I- I wish he were more than that. I love him the way a woman loves a man, Valentine," she said. I shook my head.

"But you are so young," I said, "and he really is old enough to be your father."

"I don't care! I love him and I will always love him, no matter what. But you musn't tell him. He must never know," she said.

"All right," I said. I smiled, to reassure her that I would not break my promise.

"I'm sorry," she told me, "I am acting like a child."

"No, no! Not at all! I admire you for being able to love somebody so much, even if you know that that person cannot return your love. It takes courage to keep such love to yourself," I said. She smiled.

"Thank you."

I stayed in Monte Cristo's home until morning; the Count had returned at some point during the night. He told me he would be sending for a carriage to take me to the shore, where a ship would then bring me to the isle of Monte Cristo. I was to stay there until he arrived with Maximilian. I thanked him, and he left to go attend to some business. I did not see him again after that, until he arrived at the island.

Haydee accompanied me to Monte Cristo, where we both stayed and talked until after the sun went down. We slept, and then woke to the rising sun. It was a beautiful sight. We watched the horizon all day, until we saw a ship approaching. It was Monte Cristo and Maximilian.

I was not allowed to see my love right away, Haydee informed me. He thought I was dead, and I had to wait until the Count convinced him to keep living, whether or not I was alive. It sounded like a good plan, I thought. Would Maximilian want to live if he knew he had lost me for good? Was he strong enough to hold on to life? I knew that if he had died, I would be too weak to go on. I would give in to death, to the sweet slumber that we will all one day face.

The Count brought Maximilian inside a vast cave, where Haydee and I watched from a distance. He spoke to Maximilian for quite a while, but I could not hear what they were saying. Maximilian looked miserable and sick. I wanted to run to him, to comfort him and let him know that I was okay. Finally, the Count stood back, hesitated, and then drew a small vile from within a box in his pocket. It was filled with a clear liquid- the poison that had almost killed me.

I watched in horror as Maximilian downed the contents of the vile and sat down. He looked even more sick than before. So he was not strong enough to face life either. I sighed. How peaceful he will be, I thought, when he falls into an eternal sleep. He will not have to worry about all of the terrible things of this world. Oh! How I would love to be in his place.

No, wait. He has not been poisoned, I thought. Yes! He is still alive. He had been drugged, and nothing more.

"This is not poison...! Why do you wish me to live? Do you want me to live in anguish?" I heard Maximilian shout at the Count. The Count just smiled at him and left. That was my cue.

I was nervous, no doubt. I took a few deep breaths and walked slowly toward my love. I was not sure what to do or say. Maximilian looked directly at me.

"I'm hallucinating," he said simply. I smiled. So, he thought I was just an illusion from the drugs? I would have to prove him wrong, then.

I sat down across from him and just watched him. He looked away, at the ceiling, at the walls, anywhere but at me. He turned back to me.

"I'm still here," I said with a sympathetic smile. He looked surprised to hear me speak. He held his head in his hands. I stood up, and his eyes widened.

"Maximilian," I said. He covered his ears.

"Why is God torturing me!" he screamed.

"Maximilian!" I cried. I placed my hands over his and bent down to kiss him. It was a short, sweet kiss that I knew brought him to his senses right away. He relaxed into my embrace, melted into me and kissed me back tenderly.

"This isn't real," he whispered against my lips.

"Yes, it is," I whispered back. He pulled back and looked at me. I grinned at him. He shook his head a few times, then blinked, and then looked into my eyes.

"Valentine," he breathed. My grin widened, and I leant forward, placing my lips on his once again.

"This is real," I said, kissing him once, "And so is this." Another kiss. "And this." Another. He put his arms around me and pulled me closer to him. I leaned into his embrace.

"Valentine," he said again. I smiled and pulled back. "Why?" he asked.

"Because I love you," I said, "and there is a man who believes in us, in our love for each other. That man would not let me die. And so, here I am, Maximilian. Safe, alive, and in your arms."

"The Count of Monte Cristo is truly a godsend," Maximilian said. I nodded in agreement.

"That's very kind of you," came a voice from behind us. We both turned around to find the Count beaming down on us, as a father beams at his children.

"Thank you, Count," Maximilian said.

"Yes," I added, "you are amazing. Is there anything that you cannot do?"

The Count shook his head and then laughed. I couldn't help it; I laughed too. Then Maximilian burst out laughing. The three of us were laughing like madmen, suddenly consumed with joy. The Count came over and hugged the both of us. We were his children, and he, our father.


End file.
